Durin's Reading Diary

Durin's Reading Diary

Antigone, The three Theban Plays

Analysis:
What does the character want? (Think in very basic terms: e.g. what action do they want or not want to take. This may be complex, though, with multiple conflicting motives.)

Antigone wanted to honor her fallen brother, Polynices, however; because he was branded as a traitor because of his actions to start a war on city. To do the tradition of covering the body or even an honorary burial was forbidden by the king. Which went against the rule of the gods that they believed in. Passage 25-35 “Why not? Our own brothers’ burial! Hasn’t Creon graced one with alll the rites, disgraced the other? Eteocles, they say, has been given full military honors, rightly so Creon has laid him in the earth and he goes with glory down among the dead. But the body of Polynices, who died a miserably why, a city-wide proclamation, rumor has it, forbids anyone to bury him, even mourn him. He’s to be left unwept, unburied, a lovely treasure for birds that scan the field and feast to their hearts content.” Also passage 85-90 state that “And even if I die in the act, that death will be a glory.” And “loved by him an outrage sacred to the gods! I have longer to please the dead than please the living here: in the kingdom down below I’ll lie forever. Do as you like, dishonor the laws the gods hold in honor.”

Why does the character want said thing?

It was a dishonoring move by Creon to dishonor the dead. It was a great dishonor to the god below to not protect the bodies of the dead from curses above. So Antigone wanted to honor her dead brother by the least of covering the body with dust to keep the so called “curses” from falling on her beloved brother.

How does that desire conflict with others?

Well for Antigone it did conflict with her marriage with Haemon, Creon’s only son, she said in passage 965 “no one to weep for me, my friends, no wedding song…” However, it soon was overpowered with the want of death to meet with her parents and her “beloved” brothers. Passage 980 - 995

How does the conflict of desires transform the character?
I would say it didn’t change Antigone much from before, because her purpose was to honor her brother and said she wouldn’t care even if she died because of the glory of it. Therefore her character didn’t change besides the fact that she was actually happy for the fact that she is able to meet her father, mother and brothers.

Durin!

Reread the assignment. You got one of the four you were suppose to analyze!

Creon-
What does the character want?
Creon in passage 180 -200 states about how he wishes to protect the city and how he has successfully defended against the attacks of Polynices, who betrayed his city and family. He is also afraid of revolt because of his recent decisions. However, all Creon wants is Thebes to be in peace and have its former glory. Creon states in passage 225-230 it talks about how Creon is obsessed with the fact that man can be bribed and turned to do evil things. How he wants to eradicate such men from the world. In passage 235 he states, “These are my principles. Never at my hands will the traitor be honored above the patriot. But whoever proves his loyalty to the state I’ll prize that man in death as well as life.” Therefore we can conclude that he is willing to change his mind IF a man can prove an almost impossible task to him.
Why does the character want said thing?
Because of the war that Polynices caused upon. Also Creon states in passage 230 he states how wants to use the dead body of Polynices as an example to those who might cause trouble by not allowing anyone to mourn or even honor his dead body.
How does that desire conflict with others?
His desire to protect the city and from being defied is so strong that he is unwilling to bend even when Antigone explained why she did such an action, in passage 500-520. Thus because of his choices to kill Antigone, Haemon his son kills himself and also causes Creon’s own wife to kill herself because their only son dies.

How does the conflict of desires transform the character?
He becomes broken and gains enough years to kill a man. H realizes his great error by killing Antigone and how because of his stubbornness to admit his wrong of not honoring even a criminals dead body he thus caused a great tragedy to happen.
Haemon-
What does the character want?
Haemon wanted one and only one thing, which was for his father to understand his error in his stubbornness and to save his future wife. Passage 765-790 suggests how Haemon wanted his father to realize or at least understand that he wanted Antigone not to die and to want his father to have some sense.

Why does the character want said thing?
He wants to put some common sense into his father while also trying to save his future wife even though he did state that he did not care about if Antigone dies or not.
How does that desire conflict with others?
It causes Creon to realize his erroneous choice of sending Antigone to her death.

How does the conflict of desires transform the character?
Haemon doesn’t change besides that he kills himself and dies.
Leader-
What does the character want?
The leader, also known as the personal guard of Creon, wanted to just keep his king happy and to keep the wrath off of himself by saying what Creon wanted to hear instead of saying thing that would put him in danger. In passage 760 you can see where he says what is you could say a perfect answer that would please Creon because he is agreeing with him.

Why does the character want said thing?

He wanted what was best for his king and for his own life.

How does that desire conflict with others?

He help Creon have a sense of feeling justified when he agrees with him for the death sentence of Antigone. Thus it causes Creon to have the guilt of Antigone’s death and from there Creon’s wife and Son, Haemon. Him giving Creon his justification caused Creon to have a great downfall.

How does the conflict of desires transform the character?
Later on he realizes his mistake and tries to help his king by pleading with him but it was too late for them to change the course he helped the king choose.

There you go. Two more to go!

I thought I posted all 3.. but apparently it didn't......

Haemon-
What does the character want?
Haemon wanted one and only one thing, which was for his father to understand his error in his stubbornness and to save his future wife. Passage 765-790 suggests how Haemon wanted his father to realize or at least understand that he wanted Antigone not to die and to want his father to have some sense.

Why does the character want said thing?
He wants to put some common sense into his father while also trying to save his future wife even though he did state that he did not care about if Antigone dies or not.
How does that desire conflict with others?
It causes Creon to realize his erroneous choice of sending Antigone to her death.

How does the conflict of desires transform the character?
Haemon doesn’t change besides that he kills himself and dies.

Leader-
What does the character want?
The leader, also known as the personal guard of Creon, wanted to just keep his king happy and to keep the wrath off of himself by saying what Creon wanted to hear instead of saying thing that would put him in danger. In passage 760 you can see where he says what is you could say a perfect answer that would please Creon because he is agreeing with him.

Why does the character want said thing?

He wanted what was best for his king and for his own life.

How does that desire conflict with others?

He help Creon have a sense of feeling justified when he agrees with him for the death sentence of Antigone. Thus it causes Creon to have the guilt of Antigone’s death and from there Creon’s wife and Son, Haemon. Him giving Creon his justification caused Creon to have a great downfall.

How does the conflict of desires transform the character?
Later on he realizes his mistake and tries to help his king by pleading with him but it was too late for them to change the course he helped the king choose.

Telemachus Character Questions
Durin Kim
AP Lang and Comp
10/7/14

   What does the character want? (Think in very basic terms: e.g. what action do they want or not want to take. This may be complex, though, with multiple conflicting motives.)

Telemachus states in passages 40-80 Telemachus states his want to rid of the household of suitors that came for the marriage of his mother’s hand and to rid of the wasteful feasting that the suitors are constantly doing. He states that the suitors have brought a great evil on his household, in passage 45,
“… The evil that has befallen my household. There are two evils. I have lost a noble father, one who was king once over you here, and was kind to you like a father; and now here is a greater evil, one which presently will break the whole house and destroy all my livelihood.”
Telemachus says that because of this evil his household is soon to fall because of  the suitors, however, his want to rid of the suitors is not only for the sake of his livelihood, it is also for his mother sake. Besides the hate for the suitors that are ruining him, he needs help from them to get a ship and men to go with him to Troy to hear about his father’s homecoming, whether if he is dead or is coming.

Why does the character want said thing?

Telemachus wants to rid of the suitors because they have basically taken over his household and bring him to ruins by constantly feasting. Yet the suitors are haughty and disrespectful to the master of the house as an example Aitnoos talks to Telemachus in passage 85-90,
“High spoken intemperate Telemachus, what accusations you have made to our shame, trying to turn opinion against us! and yet you have no cause to the blame the Achian suitors, but it is your own dear mother, and she is greatly resourceful. And now it is the third year, and will be the fourth year presently, since she had been denying the desires of the Achaians. For she holds out hope to all, and makes promises to each man, sending us messages, but her mind has other intentions. And here is another stratagem of her heart’s devising……”
Here Aitnoo’s talks mighty big statements in defiance against Telemachus and his mother which shows much contempt toward him and giving basically an attitude to him which gives Telemachus reason to want to rid of these suitors who are nothing more than parasites. Besides the suitors and his mother, Telemachus wanted to find his father and find the news to see if his father died.

How does that desire conflict with others?

Telemachos’ desire conflicts with Aitnoo’s and the suitors agenda which leads to the takeover of the suitors of Odysseus’ home. When Telemachos tells the suitors to leave there is conflict in passage 55, 70-75, 80-85. The suitors are here because of Telemachos’ mothers deception with her plan to trick them for four years with the tapestry she was weaving. Because of the deception, the suitors are there to put constant pressure; however, because of their constant feasting Telemachos wants to kick them out and there is constant fighting. With issue with the suitors also piles up on with Telemachos’ troubled thoughts about his father and Athena visiting him to convince him to leave to look for his father. However, with the issues suitors, he is forced to stay and defend his house from the malicious suitors. Another conflict with him to depart to find about his father is his servant which is Eurykleia the daughter of Ops the son of Peisenor. She cries in despair at the news of his departure because and says in passage 360-370a,
“so he spoke, and the dear nurse Eurykleia cried out, and bitterely lamenting she addressed him in winged words: why, my beloved child, has this intention come into your mind? Why do you wish to wander over much country, you, an only and loved son? Illustrious Odysseus has perished far from his country in some outlandish region. And these men will devise evils against you, on your returning, so you shall die by guile, and they divide all that is yours. No, but stay here and guard your possessions. It is not right for you to wander and suffer hardships on the barren wide sea.”
Telemachus’ want conflicted with Eurykleia’s want to protect her master’s only son, although it may seem a major conflict in the book it was a minor conflict that happened.

How does the conflict of desires transform the character?

For the first issue with the suitors Telemachos changes his view of the suitors from friends or acquaintances to despicable human beings and beggars. He is angered by them and has a growing hate for them, his anger is quite obvious in passage 80,
“So he spoke in anger, and dashed to the ground the scepter in a stormburst of tears and pity held all the people.”
His anger against them helps transform Telemachos to have even stronger resolve to rid of the suitors by finding his father.

Who or what things lead to the transformation of the character (similar questions to the lsat, but slightly different).

Athena would have to be the one who made the biggest impact on Telemachos in helping him transform his thoughts and his character, to gain the characteristic of resolve to find his father. His resolve is only fueled even more by his hate for the suitors who are bringing him to ruins. Athena appears to him several times through the first four books, at first disguised as a traveling guest in passages 120-125,
“.. a guest should still be standing at the doors. He stood beside her and took her by the right hand, and relieved her of the bronze spear, and spoke to her and addressed her in winged words: welcome, stranger. You shall be entertained as a guest among us. afterward, when you have tasted dinner, you shall tell us what your need is. So speaking he led the way, and Pallas Athena followed him.”
Here she is disguised as a stranger and gives Telemachos advice on what to do about the suitors. Another part in passage 265 Athena comes to Telemachos as “Athena came to him likening herself to Mentor in voice and appearance…” To help him to make a choice on whether or not to go to Troy. I would say that Athena currently has changed Telemachos the most with her words of wisdom and council to him.

Telemachus' wants were not many and were but few. His wishes were for the suitors to leave his house
and to stop bothering his mother. Another wish he wanted was for his father to return. He also wanted to find out if his father had died or was on his way.
Passages 310-320
"antinoos, there is no way for me to dine with you against my will, and take my ease, when you are so insolent. is it not enough, you suitors, that in time past you ruined my great and good possessions, when i was still in my childhood? but now, when i am grown big, and by listening to others can learn the truth, and the anger is steaming up inside me, i will endeavor to visit evil destruction upon you, either by going to Pylos, or remaining here in the district . But i will go ; that journey I speak of will not be made void;but as a passenger; for i control no ship, not any companions; this, I think, was the way you wished to have it."

passages 230-275
“She set about planning the journey for great-hearted Odysseus. She gave him a great ax that was fitted to his palms and headed with bronze, with a double edge each way, and fitted inside it a very beautiful handle of olive wood, well hafted; then she gave him a well-finished adze, and led the way onward to the far end of the island where there were trees, tall grown, alder and black poplar and fir that towered to the heaven, but all gone dry long ago and dead, so they would float lighly. But when she had shown him where the tall trees grew, Kalypso, shining among divinities, went back to her own house while he turned to cutting ghis timbers and quickly had his work finished. He threw down twenty in all, and trimmed them well with his bronze ax, and planed them expertly, and trued them straight to a chalkline. Kalypso, the the shining goddesss, at that time came back, bringing him an auger, and he bored through the mall and pinned them together with dowels, and then with cords he lashed his raft together. And as great as the bottom of the broad cargo-carrying ship, when a man well skilled in carpentry fashions it, such was the size of the broad raft made for himself by Odysseus. Next, setting up the deck boards and fitting them to close uprights he worked them on, and closed in the ends with sweeping gunwales. Then he fashioned the mast, with an upper deck fitted to it, and made in addition a steering oar by which to direct her and fenced her in down the whole length with wattles of osier to keep the water out, and expended much timber upon this. Next Kalypso, the shining goddess, brought out the sail cloth to make sails with, and he carefully worked these also, and attached the straps and halyards and sheets all in place aboard her, and then with levers worker her down to the bright salt water. It was the fourth day and all his work was finished. Then on the fourth day shining Kalypso saw him off from the island when she had bathed him and put fragrant clothing upon him, and the goddess put two skins aboard, one filled with dark wine and the other, the big one, filled with water, and put on provisions in a bag, and stored there many good things to keep a man’s strength up, and sent a following wind to carry him, warm and easy. Glorious Odysseus, happy with the win, spread sails…”
In this segment Kalypso, the shining goddess,  helps Odysseus even after wanting him to stay even when she is in disagreement she still helps him. She provides the supplies needed to create the boat and even bathes Odysseus after he finished. It shows there is still inherent good in even the goddess who wanted Odysseus to stay with her.
Passages 335-345
“the daughter of Kadmos, sweet-stepping Ino called Leukothea, saw him. She had once been one who spoke as a mortal, but now in the gulfs of the sea she holds degree as a goddess. She took pity on Odysseus as he drifted and suffered hardship, and likening herself to a winged gannet she came up out of the water and perched on the raft and spoke a word to him: Poor man, why is Poseidon the shaker of the earth so bitterly cankered against you, to give you such a harvest of evils? And yet he will not do away with you, for all his anger. but do as I say, since you seem to me not lacking in good sense. Take off these clothes,a nd leave the raft to drift at the winds’ will, and then strike out and swim with your hands and make for the landfall on the Phaiakian country, where your escape is destined. And here, take this veil, it is immortal, and fasten it under your chest; and there is no need for you to die, nor suffer. But when you with both your hands have taken hold of the mainland, untie the veil and throw it out in the wine-blue water.”
In this passages Kadmos, a goddess, comes to Odysseus’ rescue when she sees him being tossed around in the ocean because of Poseidon’s hate for him so through kindness she gives him advice and a cloak to keep him alive and flouting when he goes to swim for the land. That reveals good in the goddess.

Why hasn’t Homer revealed Odysseus yet?
It is to more like a way to build suspense and to sort of familiarize us to the situation at home before we are thrown back into Odysseus’ story. It could be a way to balance things out between characters.

Fortitude - in passages 315-330
“as he spoke, so a great wave drove down from above him with a horrible rush, and spun the raft in a circle, and he was thrown clear far from the raft and let the steering oar slip from his hands. A terrible gust of storm winds whirling together and blowing snapped the mast tree off in the middle, and the sail and the upper deck were thrown far and fell in the water. He himself was ducked for a long time, nor was he able to come up quickly from under the great rush of the water, for the clothing which divine Kalypso had given weighted him down. At last he got to the surface, and spat the bitter salt sea water that drained from his head, which was filled with it. but he did not forget about his raft, for all his trouble, but turned and swan back through tht ewaves, and laid hold of it, and huddle down in the middle of it, avoiding death’s end. Then the waves tossed her about the current now here, now there; as the North Wind in autumn tubles and tosses thistledown along the plain. And the bunches hold fast one on another,”
Here Odysseus faces the great dangers of Poseidon’s anger against him but yet he shows courage and doesn’t cry but tries to weather the storm by huddling down in the mast area. He shows fortitude by his action and how he acts during this crisis that was thrown upon him.
Passages 370 book 1
“you suitors of my mother, overbearing gin your rapacity, now let us dine and take our pleasure, and let there be no shouting, since it is a splendid thing to listen to a singer who is such a singer as this man is, with a voice such as gods have. Then tomorrow let us all go to the place of assembly, and hold a sessions where I will give you my forthright statement, that you go out of my palace and do your feasting elsewhere, eating up your won possessions, taking turns, household by household. But if you decide it is more profitable and better to go on, eating up one man’s livelihood, without payment, then spoil my house. I will cry out to the gods everlasting in hope that Zeus might somehow grant a reversal of fortunes.”
Here Telemachus gains the courage to speak against the men of great households and to threaten them. He had to gain a lot of courage to be able to stand up and announce the sins of these men who are causing it in his household.

Justice and Prudence – Passage 210 – 220
“ an yet I think that I can claim that I am not her inferior either in build or stature, since it is not likely that mortal women can challenge the goddesses for build and beauty. Then resourceful Odysseus spoke in turn and answered her goddess and queen, do not be angry with me. I myself know that ll you say is true and that circumspect Penelope can never match the impression you make for beauty and stature. She is mortal after all, and you are immortal and ageless.but even so, what I want and all my days I pine for is to go back to my house and see my day of homecoming. And I some god batters me far out of the wine-blue water, I will endure it, keeping a stubborn spirit inside me, for already I have suffered much and done much hard work on the waves in the fighting. So let this adventure follow.”
Here Odysseus shows how he is just and resists the urges by Kalypso and continues to try to get back. It shows the justice that is deeply implanted in his heart. Another point that can be drawn from this passage is Temperance. He does this by being able to resist the urges or the temptation of becoming immortal and living forever with a beautiful goddess.

Temperance and Prudence – Passages 215-220 and 240-250
“Then resourceful Odysseus spoke in turn and answered her It is a hard thing, O queen, to tell you without intermission, all my troubles, since the gods of the sky have given me many. But this now I will tell you in answer to the question you asked me. There is an island, Ogygia. It lies in the water far off. There the daughter of Atlas, subtle Kalypso, lives, with ordered hair, a dread goddess and there is no one, neither a god nor mortal person, who keeps her company. It was unhappy I alone whom my destiny brought there to her hearth, when Zeus with gathered cast of shining lightning shattered my fast ship midway on the wine-blue water. There all the rest of my excellent companions perished, but I, catching in arms of the keel of the oarswept vessel, was carried for nine days,a nd on the tenth in the black night the gods brought me to the island Ogygia, where Kalypso lives…”

In the passages we can see two traits where Odysseus exercises both character traits by avoiding being all boastful and exaggerating his misfortunes and yet shows some vulnerability so that they would show compassion to him. Therefore he utilized the two traits.

Prudence - Passages 230 book 10
“Eurylochos waited out, for he suspected treachery. She brought them inside and seated them on chairs and benches, and mixed them a potion, with barley and cheese and pale honey added to pramneian wine, but put into the mixture malignant drugs, to make them forgetful of their own country. When she had given them this and they had drunk it down, next thing she struck them with her wand and drove them into her pig pens..”

In this passage Eurlyochos is prudent and plays it safe by not entering the palace and being turned into a pig. He uses prudence to insure his safety.

In these passages Pericles uses Pathos and Logos as a means to persuade his audience in order to make them feel proud of their nation and how they give thanks to the ancestors who created such a great empire. Through the use of raising the morale of the audience through emotional manipulation through his speech.
""Nor are these the only points in which our city is worthy of admiration. We cultivate refinement without extravagance and knowledge without effeminacy; wealth we employ more for use than for show, and place the real disgrace of poverty not in owning to the fact but in declining the struggle against it. Our public men have, besides politics, their private affairs to attend to, and our ordinary citizens, though occupied with the pursuits of industry, are still fair judges of public matters; for, unlike any other nation, regarding him who takes no part in these duties not as unambitious but as useless, we Athenians are able to judge at all events if we cannot originate, and, instead of looking on discussion as a stumbling-block in the way of action, we think it an indispensable preliminary to any wise action at all."
""I shall begin with our ancestors: it is both just and proper that they should have the honour of the first mention on an occasion like the present. They dwelt in the country without break in the succession from generation to generation, and handed it down free to the present time by their valour. And if our more remote ancestors deserve praise, much more do our own fathers, who added to their inheritance the empire which we now possess, and spared no pains to be able to leave their acquisitions to us of the present generation. Lastly, there are few parts of our dominions that have not been augmented by those of us here, who are still more or less in the vigour of life; while the mother country has been furnished by us with everything that can enable her to depend on her own resources whether for war or for peace. That part of our history which tells of the military achievements which gave us our several possessions, or of the ready valour with which either we or our fathers stemmed the tide of Hellenic or foreign aggression, is a theme too familiar to my hearers for me to dilate on, and I shall therefore pass it by."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-nelson/burn-the-american-flag-or_b_5931660.html - He points out the issues and good of the two types of patriotism, one is the business and the other type of patriotism is one of genuine type.

http://www.frontporchrepublic.com/2012/03/patriotism-vs-american-exceptionalism/ - In here the author talks about how to love ones country and how it is truly achieved in a sorts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/05/upshot/younger-americans-are-less-patriotic-at-least-in-some-ways.html?_r=0&abt=0002&abg=0 - In the article it talks about how in older generations they are more patriotic than the generation of today. It compares the differences in patriotism in the older and newer generations.